This Printed Summer Shirt Will Give You the Ultimate Fashion Cred

Welcome to Grail of the Week, where we break down one currently-for-sale piece of fashion history.

What Is It: Raf Simons Printed Shirt

Where Does It Come From: Raf Simons Spring-Summer 2003 "Consumed"

Who Designed It: Raf Simons

Why It's Grail Status Today: Belgian-born designer Raf Simons has never been more popular than he is in 2016. Part of that is due to how well the 2014 documentary Dior & I, which told the story of his first ever couture collection at Dior, was received by audiences. Part of it is because rappers like A$AP Rocky can't stop name-dropping him in songs. And there's of course all the fashion industry hoopla surrounding his possible (or probable at this point?) appointment as creative director of Calvin Klein.

But a decade ago, Raf was just Raf Simons, an established but hardly world known menswear designer that made clothes inspired by youth culture. Today, these collections from that era are considered some of the most influential in menswear, and have attained cult status amongst grail-seekers. Unlike the bootcut jeans/Von Dutch hat steez that was peaking at that time, Raf's gear looks like it was made for the future we're currently living. Just look around at the current patchwork and print movements happening at retailers today and it's hard not the above highly-coveted printed short-sleeve shirt, which first hit shelves as a part of Raf's Spring-Summer 2003 "Consumed" collection.

Here's the thing: Much like his back graphic fishtail parkas or sweatshirts, this shirt fetches a hefty price on the aftermarket. Currently on Grailed there are two of these shirts, one used and one new, going for $2,000 and $2,700, respectively. So, no, these aren't exactly a drop in the bucket, but Raf's superfans will tell you they're worth every penny. And how can you put a price on head turns, jaw drops, and plain-old envy?

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